The final weekend of Wimbledon is upon us and it looks like India’s chances of winning a title depend largely on the former world number one, Martina Hingis. The 34-year-old has always been known for her tennis intelligence, so it is perhaps no coincidence that she has made a shrewd choice of partners in this year’s tournament.
Those partners of course are Sania Mirza and Leander Paes. In the ladies’ doubles final to be played on Saturday, top seeds Hingis and Mirza will face Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina. In the mixed doubles final on Sunday, Hingis and Paes will take on Alexander Peya and Tímea Babos.
Sania-Hingis top the bill
Mirza and Hingis have cruised to the final without losing a set. Mirza is the world number one in women’s doubles, and Hingis has won nine Grand Slam women's doubles titles, including a calendar-year doubles Grand Slam in 1998. That was, incidentally, the last year when she reached a Wimbledon final. This year she’s in two, thanks to her Indian partners.
Hingis’s skill at the net and her instinctive feel for the game complement Mirza’s solid baseline play and powerful forehand. In their second round match they gave up only two games. In the semifinal they lost just three against Abigail Spears and Racquel Kops-Jones. Their form has been terrific.
Of course, the final encounter will be the toughest contest yet, with the second-seeded Russians likely to put up a spirited fight. But Mirza and Hingis have got to be the favorites going into that match and all of Centre Court will be cheering loudly for the former singles and doubles champion to finally win another title here after 17 years.
Paes-Hingis are evergreen
Hingis’s drought at Wimbledon may well end with not one but two titles. Earlier this year, she and Paes took home the Australian Open trophy. In fact, the only two mixed doubles Grand Slam victories Hingis has had in her career have come with Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. It’s fair to say she has a good record with Indians, and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t continue on both Saturday and Sunday.
Paes-and-Hingis’s combined experience, speed and hands at the net provide a kind of electric energy to their matches that is thrilling to watch. In the semifinal on Friday, they defeated top seeds and French Open champions Mike Bryan and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who were probably their toughest competition. And even though Peya and Babos are seeded higher than them, on current form, Paes and Hingis are overwhelming favourites to win the title.
Men’s doubles proved taxing
Unlike the mixed doubles, the gentlemen’s doubles matches are five-set affairs, which are becoming increasingly harder for players like Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, both on the wrong side of 40. The rusty pairing of Bhupathi and Janko Tipsarevic made a very early exit in the first round, losing to Robert Lindstedt and Jürgen Melzer, with Purav Raja and his French partner Fabrice Martin also losing at the same stage to Jonathan Marray and Frederik Nielsen. Paes and fellow 42-year-old Daniel Nestor fared slightly better, making it to round three before losing to Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares.
The best Indian performance in this event came from Rohan Bopanna and his Romanian partner Florin Mergea, who were in pretty good form coming into Wimbledon. They made it all the way to the semifinals of the Gentlemen’s Doubles, where they lost to fourth seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau 11-13 in the fifth set super tie-break.
Before that they beat the formidable top seeds Mike and Bob Bryan. It was a successful tournament for those two and hopefully they will continue their evolving partnership on the American hard courts later this summer.
What is most remarkable about the two finals coming up is that Leander Paes won his first mixed doubles title at Wimbledon 16 years ago. Now here he is, competing in another final. If he wins it will be his fourth victory in the same event. If Mirza wins, it will be her first Grand Slam women’s doubles title, confirming her place on top of the heap.
And don’t forget the Swiss Miss. If all goes according to plan – and form – she might just qualify for honorary Indian citizenship.
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Those partners of course are Sania Mirza and Leander Paes. In the ladies’ doubles final to be played on Saturday, top seeds Hingis and Mirza will face Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina. In the mixed doubles final on Sunday, Hingis and Paes will take on Alexander Peya and Tímea Babos.
Sania-Hingis top the bill
Mirza and Hingis have cruised to the final without losing a set. Mirza is the world number one in women’s doubles, and Hingis has won nine Grand Slam women's doubles titles, including a calendar-year doubles Grand Slam in 1998. That was, incidentally, the last year when she reached a Wimbledon final. This year she’s in two, thanks to her Indian partners.
Hingis’s skill at the net and her instinctive feel for the game complement Mirza’s solid baseline play and powerful forehand. In their second round match they gave up only two games. In the semifinal they lost just three against Abigail Spears and Racquel Kops-Jones. Their form has been terrific.
Of course, the final encounter will be the toughest contest yet, with the second-seeded Russians likely to put up a spirited fight. But Mirza and Hingis have got to be the favorites going into that match and all of Centre Court will be cheering loudly for the former singles and doubles champion to finally win another title here after 17 years.
Paes-Hingis are evergreen
Hingis’s drought at Wimbledon may well end with not one but two titles. Earlier this year, she and Paes took home the Australian Open trophy. In fact, the only two mixed doubles Grand Slam victories Hingis has had in her career have come with Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. It’s fair to say she has a good record with Indians, and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t continue on both Saturday and Sunday.
Paes-and-Hingis’s combined experience, speed and hands at the net provide a kind of electric energy to their matches that is thrilling to watch. In the semifinal on Friday, they defeated top seeds and French Open champions Mike Bryan and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who were probably their toughest competition. And even though Peya and Babos are seeded higher than them, on current form, Paes and Hingis are overwhelming favourites to win the title.
Men’s doubles proved taxing
Unlike the mixed doubles, the gentlemen’s doubles matches are five-set affairs, which are becoming increasingly harder for players like Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, both on the wrong side of 40. The rusty pairing of Bhupathi and Janko Tipsarevic made a very early exit in the first round, losing to Robert Lindstedt and Jürgen Melzer, with Purav Raja and his French partner Fabrice Martin also losing at the same stage to Jonathan Marray and Frederik Nielsen. Paes and fellow 42-year-old Daniel Nestor fared slightly better, making it to round three before losing to Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares.
The best Indian performance in this event came from Rohan Bopanna and his Romanian partner Florin Mergea, who were in pretty good form coming into Wimbledon. They made it all the way to the semifinals of the Gentlemen’s Doubles, where they lost to fourth seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau 11-13 in the fifth set super tie-break.
Before that they beat the formidable top seeds Mike and Bob Bryan. It was a successful tournament for those two and hopefully they will continue their evolving partnership on the American hard courts later this summer.
What is most remarkable about the two finals coming up is that Leander Paes won his first mixed doubles title at Wimbledon 16 years ago. Now here he is, competing in another final. If he wins it will be his fourth victory in the same event. If Mirza wins, it will be her first Grand Slam women’s doubles title, confirming her place on top of the heap.
And don’t forget the Swiss Miss. If all goes according to plan – and form – she might just qualify for honorary Indian citizenship.
